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Walking

Health by Design champions making Indiana communities accessible, inviting, and safe for people walking and using mobility devices.

Health by Design has long prioritized efforts to improve walkability and to get more people walking. Over the past several years, much of that work has focused on issues of pedestrian safety in Indianapolis, as a result of local funding commitments and related grant awards.

Through a partnership between Health by Design, the City of Indianapolis and the Marion County Public Health Department, pedestrian crash data has been complied, reviewed, and analyzed to better understand where, why, and how they are occurring. Sixteen high crash zones have been identified, and a mix of countermeasures have been deployed to address infrastructure needs, engage community partners, and provide outreach and education. This project also uses emergency response records and hospital trauma registry data to further understanding of the issues. More information on the project’s findings will be available soon.

Indianapolis Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP)

In 2015, Health by Design was awarded a Plan4Health grant from the American Planning Association, which led to Indy WalkWays, a branded initiative that included development and adoption of Indianapolis’ first pedestrian plan and safety action plan [link], efforts to establish a comprehensive pedestrian program for Marion County, and promotional activities to get more people walking. The organization convened a pedestrian advisory group through 2018, which is now integrated with the city’s Complete Streets Advisory Group.

Helpful Links

America Walks

America Walks is leading the way in empowering communities to create safe, accessible, and enjoyable walking conditions for all. They provide a voice for walking and walkable communities and provide strategy support, training and technical assistance.

Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP)

APBP is a community of practitioners working to create more walkable, bikeable places. They foster peer knowledge sharing, advance technical expertise, and support the professional development of their members.

National Center for Bicycling and Walking

The National Center for Bicycling & Walking’s mission is to create bicycle-friendly and walkable communities. It is a resident program at Project for Public Spaces.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC)

RTC serves as the national voice for more than 160,000 members and supporters, 31,000 miles of rail-trails and multi-use trails, and more than 8,000 miles of potential trails waiting to be built, with a goal of creating more walkable, bikeable communities in America.